Lasting machine



Nov. 29, 1938. w. T. B. ROBERTS,

LASTING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l w. T. B. ROBERTS 2,138,308 LASTING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 0 2,0 40 6O 60 I00 I20 I40 I60 I60 200 220240 260380500 320540560 Q fi/VE/VTUR m fam fi j; w M {5% Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LASTING MACHINE New Jersey Application July 22, 1937, Serial No. 155,019 In Great Britain August 25, 1936 15 Claims.

This invention relates to lasting machines, and more particularly to machines for lasting the toe ends of shoes. The invention is herein illustrated as applied to a power-operated toe-lasting a machine of the character disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,134,148, granted on October 25, 1938 upon an application of mine, in which it is an object of the invention to effect certain improvements. It is to be understood,

in however, that in various novel aspects the invention is not limited to machines of that particular character.

The machine shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent is provided with wipers movable '13 to wipe the toe end of an upper heightwise of the last (i. e., to upwipe the upper) and thereafter to wipe its margin inwardly over an insole on the last, and also with upper-spreading and clamping means comprising fingers arranged-to clamp the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to assist the latter in wiping the upper tightly inward over the insole without objectionable wrinkles. The fingers are moved outwardly along the bottom face of the insole to insure the spreading of the margin of the upper materials from over the insole, and are then maintained in positions where they extend partly beyond the edge of the insole ready to clamp the margin of the upper on the wipers substantially at the end of the upwiping operation. After the margin of the upper is thus clamped the last receives a short heightwise movement to position the toe end of the insole in proper relation to the wipers for the margin of the upper to be wiped inwardly over it, and as a result of such movement of the last the cooperating clamping fingers and wipers tend to draw the upper more tightly over the last. The fingers are then held stationary in clamping relation to the margin of the upper during a portion of the movement of the wipers to wipe the upper inwardly over the insole, after which they are moved outwardly over the wipers as the latter continue their inward movement.

While a machine operating as above described has been found to produce satisfactory results under most conditions, some difficulty has been encountered in shaping tightly enough over the last and the insole an upper of comparatively light-weight stock in which loss of pulling-over tension is more likely to occur than in heavy stock when the pulling-over tack at the end of the toe is removed, as it customarily is, prior to the toe-lasting operation. The present invention accordingly provides a construction whereby the upper is subjected to greater tension in the toe-lasting operation than in the use of the machine as formerly constructed. For this purpose, as herein illustrated, the movement of the above-mentioned upper-spreading and clamping fingers outwardly over the insole terminates with the fingers positioned entirely beyond the edge of the insole, whereupon they are moved heightwise of the last toward the wipers, so that they will cooperate with the wipers to apply a pull to the upper during a substantial portion of the upwiping movement of the wipers. Conveniently the fingers are pressed upon the insole through a spring which is subjected to stress in that operation and thereafter reacts to move the fingers toward the wipers. Further to assist in accomplishing the objects in view, the construction herein shown also includes means for moving the fingers bodily lengthwise of the shoe with the wipers during a portion of the inward movement of the wipers to wipe the upper over the insole, before the fingers receive their outward movement over the wipers, thus lengthening the time that the fingers remain in control of the upper and correspondingly increasing the tightening effect of the wipers on the upper. This is particularly advantageous in operating on uppers having comparatively narrow lasting margins to be wiped inwardly over the insoles.

The above and other features of the invention, including also novel upper-spreading and clamping means constructed to insure against tensioning the upper excessively at the extreme end of the toe, and various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a view mainly in right-hand side elevation of a portion of a machine in which the invention is embodied, with parts in section and other parts broken away, showing the upperspreading and clamping means as it appears after its outward movement over the insole and its movement heightwise of the last toward the wipers;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the wipers in plan and the upper-spreading and clamping means in section in the same relation to the wipers as in.- Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the upper-spreading and clamping means in right-hand side elevation on a larger scale than in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is mainly a plan view of the upper-.

spreading and clamping means, with parts in section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, the clamping fingers being shown in their initial relation to each other; and

Fig. 5 is a chart illustrating certain movements of the upper-spreading and clamping means in the cycle of operations of the machine.

Since the invention is herein illustrated as applied to a machine of the same general character as disclosed in the previously mentioned Letters Patent, the drawings show only as much of the machine as is necessary for an understanding of the invention. The machine is provided with toe-embracing wipers 2 which by means not herein shown but fully disclosed in the above-mentioned Letters Patent are moved upwardly to wipe the upper heightwise of the last toward the edge of the insole and are thereafter advanced and closed lengthwise and laterally of the shoe to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over the insole, the shoe and last being depressed a short distance by downward movement of a holddown 4 between the end of the upwiping movement of the wipers and the beginning of their movement to wipe the upper over the insole. For spreading the margin of the upper outwardly over the wipers and clamping it on the wipers there are provided a pair of fingers 6 generally similar to those in the earlier machine but curved approximately in accordance with the curvature of the toe end of the insole. These fingers are mounted as hereinafter described to swing toward or from each other laterally of the shoe about pivot pins 8 (Figs. 3 and 4) and initially occupy positions close to the holddown 4 and well above the insole. The pins 8 extend downwardly from a member ID mounted on the forward end of a bar 12. The rear end of this bar is pivotally connected by a pin I4 to the upper end of a lever l6 mounted at its lower end to swing about a rod I8, this lever carrying a roll 20 which lies in a cam track 22 formed in a cam wheel 24 fast on a cam shaft 26. As disclosed in the above-mentioned Letters Patent, the member ID is so mounted on the bar I2 as to permit it to turn with the fingers 6 about an axis extending lengthwise of the shoe so that the fingers may adjust themselves to bear with the same pressure on the portions of the margin of the upper overlying the difierent wipers.

The bar I2 is connected by a pivot pin 28 to the upper ends of a pair of links 30 the lower ends of which are connected by a short link 32 having an upwardly extending bifurcated arm 34 to the forward end of a lever 36 mounted to swing about a rod 38 and carrying a roll 40 which lies in a cam track 42. formed in a cam wheel 44 (shown in broken lines) fast on the shaft 2'6. A spring 46'is mounted on a rod 48 pivoted at 58 to the lever 36 and bears at its rear end against a shoulder on the rod and at its front end against a block 52 which is mounted to slide on the rod and bears against the upwardly extending arm 34 of the link 32. The rod '48 may be swung upwardly or downwardly about its connection with the lever 36, and the block 52 has a V-shaped portion arranged to enter any one of a plurality of notches 54 provided in the arm 34 of the link 32. It will thus be evident that downward swinging movement is imparted to the bar l2 by downward movement of the lever 36 and that the spring 46 may yield in response to resistance to the downward movement of the bar and its upper-clamping fingers 4 cam wheel 44.

.the lever l6.

As distinguished from the construction shown in the previously mentioned Letters Patent, the fingers 6 in the construction herein shown are not mounted directly on the pivot pins 8, but on carriers 58 which are pivotally mounted on the pins, each finger having an upwardly extending cylindrically shaped rib '68 mounted in a corresponding recess in its carrier, so that the fingers may each tip about an axis extending transversely of the edge of the shoe bottom for better accommodation to the thickness of the upper materials. For swinging the fingers toward or from each other widthwise of the shoe each carrier 58 has a ball connection 62 with a pin 54 fast on the forward end of a link 5%. By means more fully disclosed in the previously mentioned Letters Patent the two links 65 are connected at their rear ends to a rack bar 53 slidingly movable in the bar 12. This rack bar is engaged by a pinion mounted to turn on the previously mentioned pin 28. The pinion is engaged by an arcuate toothed sector 72 formed on an upwardly extending arm of a short lever 14 mounted to swing about a pin 16 fast in an arm 18 depending from the bar l2. The lever 14 has a rearwardly extending arm 80 which carries a roll 82 arranged to be engaged by a cam 83 on the periphery of the cam wheel 24 to impart to the fingers B outward swinging movements by movement of the rack bar 68 against the resistance of a spring84. The movements of the fingers thus effected through the arm 80 occur as the wipers are wiping the margin of the upper inwardly over the insole and are accompanied by bodily outward movement of the fingers lengthwise of the shoe efiected through the lever IS, the fingers thus applying an outward wipe to whatever remains of the margin of the upper over the top of the wipers. By continued movement the fingers are withdrawn from over the wipers, whereupon they are moved farther downward to make way for fastening-inserting mechanism a portion of which is shown at 86.

For imparting to the fingers earlier in the cycle outward swinging movements over the insole from their initial positions close to the holddown 4, accompanied also by bodily outward movement lengthwise of the shoe, there is provided a second lever 88 also mounted on the pin 16, this lever carrying a roll 99 arranged to be engaged by a cam 9i on the periphery of the The lever 88 is connected to the lever 14 by a spindle 92 provided with right and left threads engaging corresponding threads in trunnions mounted in the two levers, the spindle having thereon a hand wheel 94 for turning it. By turning this spindle the lever 88 may be adiusted relatively to the lever 14 which carries the gear sector 72 to vary the amount of movement imparted to the lever 88 by its cam 9| and thus to vary the amount of outward swinging movement imparted to the fingers 6.

For purposes of this invention the cam track 42 whereby the lever 36 is operated is so formed,

, between the portions 96 and 98 thereof, that the upper-spreading and clamping fingers 6 are first moved downwardly by the lever 36 into engagement with the insole, as indicated by the portion a-b of the line A-A in Fig. 5, the lever 36 thereafter being swung farther downwardly and thus increasing the pressure of thefingers on the insole through compression of the spring 46, as indicated by the portion 12-0 of the line AA. Substantially as soon as the fingers are pressed against the insole they are moved bodily outward lengthwise of the shoe by the action on the lever 16 of that part of the cam track 22 between the portions I and I02 thereof, as indicated by, the portion wb of the line BB in Fig. 5, and are also swung apart by the cam 9|, to insure the spreading of the margin of the upper outwardly beyond the edge of the insole. The cam track 22 is so formed and the lever 88 is so adjusted by the spindle 92 that the fingers are thus carried to positions entirely beyond the edge of the insole, whereupon the spring 46 expands to carry the fingers downwardly toward the wipers 2 beyond the edge of the insole, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and as indicated by the portion d-e of the line AA in Fig. 5. The fingers may thus be moved downwardly toward the wipers a quarter or threeeighths of an inch, and when the fingers arrive at the end of their downward movement they will preferably be spaced, as shown, a little above the wipers, the margin of the upper being outspread between them and the top faces of the wipers. The wipers are thereafter raised to wipe the upper heightwise of the last, and shortly after the beginning of their upward movementthey clamp the outspread margin of the upper against the fingers 6. As the wipers continue to rise they force the fingers upwardly with them against the resistance of the spring 46 which is compressed more or less in this operation, although the cam track 42 is shaped, between the portions H14 and IE6 thereof, to compensate in part for such upward movement of the fingers,

as indicated by the portion f-g of the line AA in Fig. 5. The upper is accordingly subjected to considerable tension by the upward pull of the cooperating wipers and clamping fingers thereon before the wipers arrive at the limit of their upward movement, the upper, of course, slipping more or less between the wipers and the fingers. The last and insole are then forced downwardly a short distance by the holddown 4 to position the insole in proper relation to the wipers for the margin of the upper to be wiped inwardly over it, and in this operation the upper is subjected to a further pull, since its margin is still clamped on the wipers. In view of the manner in which the upper is thus drawn tightly over the toe of the last the wipers may, if desired, be so adjusted that their edges will not actually press the upper against the last in the upwiping operation, which may be an advantage in operating on delicate upper materials or in avoiding any possibility of upward displacement of the margin of the insole by the wipers.

Further to insure under all conditions that the margin of the upper will be lasted tightly and smoothly over the insole, the cam track 22 which operates the lever. Hiv is so formed, between the portions 108 and H0 thereof, as to move the clamping fingers 6 bodily lengthwise of the shoe with the wipers. during a portion of the inward wiping movement of the wipers before moving the fingers outwardly over the wipers, as indicated by the portion c-d of the line 3-3 in Fig. 5. The fingers may thus be moved inwardly with the wipers about a quarter of an inch at a speed substantially equal to, or it may be somewhat less than, that of the wipers as the wipers begin to advance and close over the insole. Thereafter, while the wipers continue their inward movement, the fingers are moved reversely lengthwise of the shoe, as indicated by the portion d-e of the line 3-3, and are also swung apart, as heretofore, to apply an outward wipe to whatever remains of the margin of the upper over the top of the wipers and then to withdraw themfrom over the wipers, after which they are moved downward beyond the wipers to provide clearance for the fastening-inserting mechanism, as indicated by the portion hz of the line A-A. Operated as above described, the fingers remain in control of the upper longer than heretofore in the overwiping operation, which is particularly advantageous if the upper is so cut that its margin to be lasted over the insole is comparatively 0 narrow.

In order to insure against pulling the upper with undue force at the extreme end of the toe, especially in the upwiping operation, the construction herein shown is further such that the I margin of the upper in that location is not engaged by the fingers G themselves or by the pivot pins 8, but by spring-pressed plungers l 52 having heads H4 located between the fingers 6, the lower faces of these heads being normally in the same plane as the lower faces of the fingers. The pivot pins 8 are bored axially to receive the plungers and also to receive springs I16 against the resistance of which the plungers are upwardly yieldable relatively to the fingers 5. Cotter pins H8 in the reduced upper ends of the plungers limit their downward movement by engagement with the pivot pins 8. It will thus be seen that whereas the fingers are positively connected to their supporting block it through their carriers 58, the plungers H2 are y'ieldingly connected to the supporting block to provide for less pressure than the fingers on the margin of the upper.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent or" the United States is:

1. In a power-operated lasting machine, the

combination with wipers for wiping an upper around the toe end of a last heightwise of the last and for wiping the margin of the upper inwardly over .an insole on the last, of a device for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, and automatic means for moving said device from a position spaced a substantial distance inwardly from the edge of the insole outwardly along the bottom face of the insole in contact with said face to insure the spreading of all portions of the margin of the upper around the toe from over the insole and for thereafter moving the device heightwise of the last toward the wipers beyond the edge of the insole into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against it by the wipers for applying a pull to the upper as the upper is wiped heighwise of the last by the wipers.

2. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers movable to wipe an upper around the toe end of a last heightwise of the last and to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, said fingers being mounted for swinging movements toward or from each other widthwise of the last, and automatic means for moving said fingers bodily outward lengthwise of the last and for swinging them apart along the bottom face of the insole in contact with said face from positions spaced substantial distances inwardly from the edge of the insole to insure the spreading of all portions of the margin of the upper around the toe from over the insole and for thereafter moving the fingers heightwise of the last toward the wipers beyond the edge of the insole into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against them by the wipers for applying a pull to the upper in the wiping movement of the wipers heightwise of the last.

3. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers movable to wipe an upper around the toe end of a last heightwise of the last and to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, said fingers being mounted for swinging movements toward or from each other widthwise of the last, and automatic means for moving said fingers bodily outward lengthwise of the last and for swinging them apart along the bottom face of the insole to positions beyond the edge of the insole and for thereafter moving them heightwise of the last toward the wipers into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against them by the wipers after the beginning of the wiping movement of the wipers heightwise of the last for applying a pull to the upper thereafter during the remainder of said wiping movement.

4. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers for wiping an upper around the toe end of a last heightwise of the last and for wiping the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, said fingers being mounted for swinging movements toward or from each other widthwise of the last, cam means for moving said fingers bodily outward lengthwise of the last and for swinging them apart along the bottom face of the insole from positions spaced substantial distances inwardly from the edge of the insole to positions beyond the edge of the insole, and additional cam means for pressing the fingers upon the insole as they are thus moved along the bottom face of the insole and for thereafter moving them heightwise of the last toward the wipers beyond the edge of the insole into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against them by the wipers for applying a pull to the upper as it is wiped heightwise of the last.

5. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers for wiping an upper around the toe end of a last heightwise of the last and for wiping the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of a device for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, automatic means for moving said device outwardly along the bottom face of the insole to a position beyond the edge of the insole, and means for pressing said device upon the insole in a direction heightwise of the last as it is thus moved outwardly along the insole, said lastnamed means comprising a spring arranged to be subjected to stress in response to-resistance of the shoe to movement of the device heightwise of the last and thereafter to react to move the device heightwise of the last toward the wipers beyond the edge of the insole into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against it by the wipers for applying a pull to the upper as the upper is wiped heightwise of the last.

6. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers movable to wipe an upper around the toe end of a last heightwise of the last and to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of a device for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, automatic means for moving said device outwardly alongthe bottom face of the insole to a position beyond the edge of the insole, and additional means comprising a spring arranged to be subjected to stress to press said device upon the insole as it is thus moved outwardly along the insole and thereafter to react to move the device heightwise of the last toward the wipers beyond the edge of the insole into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against it by the wipers for applying a pull to the upper in the wiping movement of the wipers heightwise of the last, said spring being yieldable in response to the movement of the wipers heightwise of the last while maintaining the device in upper-clamping relation to the wipers.

7. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers arranged to wipe an upper around the toe end of a last heightwise of the last and movable to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of a device for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, and controlling means for moving said device outwardly along the bottom face of the insole to a position beyond the edge of the insole and for thereafter moving it heightwise of the last toward the wipers beyond the edge of the insole into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against it by the wipers for applying a pull to the upper as the upper is wiped heightwise of the last, said controlling means being further so constructed as to move the device inwardly over the insole with the wipers during a portion of the inward wiping movement of the wipers and thereafter to move it outwardly over the wipers as the wipers continue their inward movement.

8. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers arranged to wipe an upp r aroundthe toe end of a last heightwise of the last and movable to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it in the lasting operation, said fingers being mounted for swinging movements toward or from each other widthwise of the last, and controlling, cmeans for moving said fingers bodily outward lengthwise of the last and for swinging them apart along the bottom face of the insole to positions beyond the edge of the insole and for thereafter moving them heightwise of the last toward the wipers beyond the edge of the insole into position for the outspread margin of the upper to be clamped against them by the wipers for applying a pull to the upper as it is wiped heightwise of the last, said controlling means,

being further so constructed as to move said fingers bodily inward lengthwise of the last with the wipers during a portion of the inward wiping movement of the wipers and thereafter to move them reversely outward over the wipers and to swing them apart as the wipers continue their inward movement.

9. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers movable to wipe the margin of an upper around the toe end of a last inwardly over an insole on the last, of a device for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the wipers to control it as it is wiped inwardly, said device being movable inwardly over the insole with the wipers during a portion of the inward wiping movement of the wipers, and automatic means for thereafter moving said device outwardly over the wipers as the wipers continue their inward movement.

10. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with wipers movable to wipe the margin of an upper around the toe end of a last inwardly over an insole on the last, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of the upper outspread upon the Wipers to control it in the wiping operation, said fingers being mounted for swinging movements toward or from each other widthwise of the last, and automatic means for moving said fingers bodily inward lengthwise of the last with the wipers during a portion of the inward wiping movement of the wipers and for thereafter moving them reversely outward over the wipers and for swinging them apart in wiping engagement with the outspread margin of the upper as the wipers continue their inward movement.

11. In a lasting machine, the combination with toe-lasting wipers, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of an upper outspread upon said wipers to control it in the lasting operation, a device for clamping the margin of the extreme end of the upper on the wipers between said fingers, yieldable means for pressing the fingers and said device upon the upper, and additional yieldable means for controlling said device only to insure against excessive clamping pressure at the extreme end of the toe.

12. In a lasting machine, the combination with toe-lasting wipers, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of an upper outspread upon said wipers to control it in the lasting operation, a support for said fingers, positive connections between the fingers and said support, and means on said support for clamping the margin of the extreme end of the upper on the wipers between said fingers, said means being yieldable heightwise of the shoe relatively to said support and fingers.

13. In a lasting machine, the combination with toe-lasting wipers, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of an upper outspread upon said wipers to control it in the lasting operation, a support for said fingers, positive connections between the fingers and said support, a device on said support for clamping the margin of the extreme end of the upper on the wipers between said fingers, .yieldable means for controlling said support to press the fingers and said device upon the upper, and spring means on said support for controlling said device to permit it to yield heightwise of the shoe relatively to the fingers.

14. In a. lasting machine, the combination with toe-lasting wipers, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of an upper outspread upon said wipers to control it in the lasting operation, said fingers being mounted for swinging movements laterally of the shoe about axes extending heightwise of the shoe, and spring-controlled plungers located at said axes for clamping the margin of the extreme end of the upper yieldingly on the wipers. 7

15. In a lasting machine, the combination with toe-lasting wipers, of a pair of fingers for clamping the margin of an upper outspread upon said wipers to control it in the lasting operation, a support for said fingers on which they are mounted for swinging movements laterally of the shoe about axes extending heightwise of the shoe, positive connections between the fingers and said support for pressing the fingers on the upper, members on said support located at said axes for clamping the margin of the extreme end of the upper on the wipers, and spring means controlling said members and against the resistance of which they are yieldable heightwise of the shoe relatively to the fingers.

WILLIAM THOMAS BUCKINGHAM ROBERTS. 

